Which mythology is the true religion? This is interesting
He said “the world is a projection of the one who sees it, in exactly the same way that a dream is a projection of the dreamer—that in fact everything you see is your own projection from your mind. When that projecting system vanishes, then you no longer see things as inside or outside, you simply recognize it as being your own self”.
“But until that moment (awakening), everything you see is a an internal projection, in much the same way that a movie is projected on to a screen, but it’s all going on inside your own head”—David Godman, excerpt on Sri Ramana Maharshi
What we see as reality is a projection from the mind (the receiver) onto the background (which is consciousness) that permeates everything. Like watching a movie in the theater, you can never see the screen behind the images. That screen is consciousness that pervades the entire cosmos.
Our minds are filled with cultural distractions based on incorrect myth—that you are separate ego. “I”, is then fed by grasping at objects focusing thought projected outside of the Self.
When you pursue the identification of “I” by focusing deeply on who is the the thinker of those thoughts, it leaves, vanishes, goes back to the source—that is the moment of awakening, and seeing the true reality that is not objects at all, but the Self, which is one. That is god in this philosophy, and it is you, and it is everything—and good and evil are all inflicted on itself.
Nothing can be seen without a background—and consciousness is all that. There is only one philosophical question worth pursuing; Is any of it serious? When all is said and pondered into paralysis and analyzed ad nauseum, what is it that remains besides I am?
We are connected to the world by little tubes and nerve endings on our skin. The whole cosmos perpetually passes through us, and us through it.
TheCommonAtheist 
Modern art? Abstract art? What is it Jim?
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Looking through reeds at the pond. You asked three questions? It must be all three.
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I really like your painting. Are you sure that is your first try or your first try that ending in a pleasing result? If that is indeed your first try … wow!
Re “Nothing can be seen without a background—and consciousness is all that.” Is this your thought or the thought of the previous commenters. This is a classical “deepity,” some thing that sounds profound up is rather just word salad.
Since we prize consciousness so greatly it seems indispensable to us. That we tend to create a mental map of the world in our minds seems true but is not necessarily a critical thing. It is one way of handling our sensory inputs. It provides a place … imagination … where we can test out possible actions, without having to do them. It is not at all clear that this survival trait is used by other animals. Since many of them seem conscious, to some extent, if it were true then consciousness is not the background upon which we project our realities.
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Maybe the fact that we are aware that we are aware adds a level geared towards knowing. Awareness of self is a unique trait to humans and a few animals, like dolphins. These are not my thoughts, but the thoughts of Sri Ramana Maharshi, who lived some 60 years in this state of conscious awareness. Others have seen this as well, but the point I think is there is a central mystery to our knowing/existence that is much more interesting than the universe having a monarchial boss laden with contradiction.
The one thing that is most difficult to see, to know, is the one thing that is most unrecognizable because it is so obvious. Like a fish and the water or a bird in the air, do they realize what it is that supports them, what it is that they do? Are you doing this or is it doing you, or is it inseparable?
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But isn’t the more interesting angle that consciousness, like memory, can be myth or myth-based? Perception is in itself a biased construct.
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The painting made me think of swaying palm fronds. I really like it!
Not sure about the consciousness idea, but I certainly like the concept of people learning about all religions and finding them equally ridiculous.
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You’re walking the high road, Eileen. Totally agree with your assessment of religions, bar none!
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“Our minds are filled with cultural distractions based on incorrect myth—that you are separate ego.” This seems assumptive and is subjective, right? I mean, for something to be objectively correct, there needs to be a final and absolute authority which is not subject to itself, no? If you are trying to find rational sense in the cosmos, doesn’t that reveal a faith in an unseen organizing principle, be it conscious or not?
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There is only one is that has no isn’t. Since the biblical god is completely arbitrary and contradictory from page one, that isn’t it. It, would have to be as everything else. Self existent. Organisms need no organizing principle. They are self governing—like you growing your own hair or beating your heart.
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So how do like painting, Jim?
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I like it. I have to feel something though to be able to make anything worth while. Other than that it’s lousy stick figures. I would like to make a good stick Indian though, if you know what that is?
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The painting is a “Wow!” Very evocative. Tying it in the article, I saw an expression of infinity in it, a fulness, an “all-ness” only possible to see from individual patterns and differing colours. As I read through your article I heard “me” say, well, yes, of course. Long ago a decision was made to go beyond just being in one unreality to create a stained glass cosmic panorama. Individuality was born and it fed on creativity from imagination. It was an exciting event, dwarfing the so-called big bang. It was life itself able to look at itself and say, “I am” and expressing that “I am” in a myriad of individual patterns. That was a long time ago and perhaps some individuals lost the excitement of this beginning and now as they complete their cycle, they long for a return to this non-form existence. I have no argument with that except that I don’t see why it has to be like a religion which says, believe what I believe, follow my way and we all return to the source to exist ever after… The way I see it is, if an entity/individual reaches a point where it/she/he wants to return to the original (assumption being made here) oneness, there is no problem with that. Just allow the rest who choose not to see it that way, who choose to push on ever forward into the unknown, who choose to become increasingly self aware and detached from other individuals in order to frame new realities to do so unhindered. I choose (operative word) to separate. I choose to recognize good from evil and filter out and reject the evil in favour of what I consider good. I choose to develop myself as an empath. There is no longer any source for me; nothing to return to. As I “remember” it the source, so-called, had none of the attributes I’ve been developing myself into and from. The source did not KNOW, not even itself. We made that happen by choosing to become something else, something other than. And there was war in heaven between those who would be free and those who would stop them from leaving. (There have been many wars!) Let’s not start another war between the believers and the independents just because things are looking shaky on earth and the ancient womb seems like a great safe place to return to.
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Great comment Sha Tara. I’ll just touch off one element here. There are no beliefs to believe in this doctrine, only methods. If one Ike’s the idea or is curious to examine it they are free to do so, then free to leave. Some become private while some a Bodi. Simple
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Yes, that is how it should be. There can never be freedom where anyone, or any group, can dictate “how it has to be” to anyone else. As children, yes, we are dictated to as we live with the parents but the understanding is that soon we will, or can, leave, thus ending that dictatorship. Religions and their gods do not give that option and that’s their number one failure. That is how they maybe recognized as illegitimate forces, or powers.
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they long for a return to this non-form existence….that’s coming.
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beautiful! post and painting. i used to do quite a bit of watercolors too, abstracts like this.
yes, turning the vision inwards rather than out, the self is recognized: self-illumined like the sun itself. it is due to the sun than all is seen- the sun itself needs no light. so with consciousness. it sheds ‘knowingness’ everywhere.
no separate ‘individual’ is needed. behind the eyes, lies the entire existence. finally, we rest in our true nature: peace and bliss. let life express through.
when the body goes, you will still be everywhere. so… what is there to worry about? 🌻🌞
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Some interesting thoughts to ponder over Jim. I am reminded of the fallen tree analogy: “If a tree falls in a forest, and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”. Personally I would say yes. Our perceptions of the matter which come from our brain.consciousness or whatever aren’t required, but it is all we have to go on. In other words there is ‘absolute truth’ and ‘apparent truth’. So we all have different views of what happened with the fallen tree, based on our perceptions, which is dictated by our brains. None of us have a complete picture. But does it affect whether the tree fell and/or made a sound? Nope.
I like what you say about cultural distractions. Your own ‘projections’ can get distorted by others to the point where their projections become your own (as in the case with religion). Nice painting by the way, you should do more.
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Thanks. If a tree falls in the woods and there is no one there to hear it, it does not make a sound. It makes a vibration. Sound is a relationship between a vibration and an eardrum.
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Very “Alan Watts” article. Well said.
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I thinks Sri Ramana Maharshi was one of Alan’s favs.
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Religion is man made for the purpose of governing a society. The God’s of religion are humans.
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